Self-cleaning spark plug cleaner



Aug. 12, 1958 G. PERSAK, JR 2,346,821

SELF-CLEANING SPARK PLUG CLEANER Filed Aug. 12, 1957 5 Sheets-Sheet 1Igi , (NVENTOR.

Aug. 12; 1958 G. PERSAK, JR 21,846,821 SELF-CLEANING SPARK PLUG CLEANERFiled Aug. 12, 1957 s Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR.

- W m. i I TUBA E) 50045 flaw/9min Aug. 12, 1958 a. PERSAK, JR 2,846,821

' SELF-CLEANING SPARK PLUG CLEANER Filed Aug. 12, 1957 3 Sheets-Sheet 3v INVENTOR. 50545 Pies/M, f7.

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United States Patent SELF-CLEANING SPARK PLUG CLEANER George Persak,Jr.', Verona,N; J., assignor to The Oiljak Manufacturing :Co., Inc.,Montclair, N. J., a'corporation-of New Jersey Application'August12,1957, Serial'No. 677,653

6'Claims. (Cl. 51-8) The invention here disclosed relates to spark plugclean ersof thetype shown in Patents 2,505,422 April 25, 1950, 2,552,344'May 8, 1951 andco-pendingpatent application Serial No. 587,809 filedMay 28, 1956, wherein cleaning is eflected by the scouringv action of asharp abrasive such as garnet, I

An important object of the present invention 18 to accomplish anautomatic cleaning of the abrasive as it is used, so as to keep it ineffective scouring condition.

This object has been attained by a double screening operation, whereinthe air carrying the material scoured from the plugs is released througha. first screen and caused to drop the abrasive into a centralabrasive'hopperandis then released to atmosphere through a second filterwall surrounding and spaced from the first screen and thereby caused todrop the removed waste, generally in finely powdered form, into aseparate dust collecting hopper belowand spaced from the abrasivehopper.

Special objects of the invention are to provide an ef+ ficien'tscreening and filtering. structure, whichcan be produced at low cost andmade' up'in a simple'substantial structure, readily assembled and takenapart andiwhich in particular, will enable quick easy removal of. thedust separated [from the abrasive and, when so" desired, the

quick easy removal ofthe abrasive.

Other desirable objects and the novel features of constructionthroughwhich the purposes of theinventionare attained areset forth and willappear more fullyin the following specification.

The drawings accompanying and forming part of the specificationillustrate'a present commercial embodiment of the invention, butstructure may bemodified and changed as regards theimmediate-illustration, all within the true intent of the invention ashereinafter defined and claimed.

Fig. lin the'drawings'is a broken vertical sectional view of one of'thenew self-cleaning.sparkplug cleaners.

Fig.2is abroken sectional .view showing how the: inner, abrasive h'opperis separatedfrom. the upper headof the abrasive'holder by spacingstruts.

Figs. 3 and 4 are broken sectional views of the abrasive nozzle and theair blast cleaning nozzle structures respectively.

Figs. 5 and 6 are cross-sectional views on substantially the planes ofline 55 and 66 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 7 is an elevation of the filter-cleaner bag as made up forinstallation.

Fig. 8 is a part sectional view of the same showing it reversed readyfor mounting in the apparatus.

The embodiment of the invention illustrated, comprises an inverted cantop 7, having dependent spacer struts 8, supporting an abrasive hopper9, a larger diameter dust hopper 10, spaced below the abrasive hopper, afirst abrasive catching screen 11, stretched between the can top andabrasive hopper and a dust catching filter wall 12, stretched betweenthe can and the rim of the larger diameter dust hopper 10.

A pickup tube 13, dipping down into the abrasive hop- 2,846,821 PatentedAug. 12, 1958 The abrasive nozzle and pickup tube are shown carried I bya U-bracket'19, dependent from .the can top.

The abrasive filter 11 and dustarresting'screen 12, are indicated asinner and outer walls of a single bag structure having a doublededge 20,at the top. held to the dependent'flange portion 21, of the can by asurrounding clamp band 22, and with the inner wall 11, secured about theflange 23, of the abrasive hopper by clamp band'24, and the outer wall12, held to the flange 25, of the: dust hopper by clamp. band' 26;

While'these filter andscreen walls may be of the same or similarmaterial and possibly actually parts of the same bag reversed on itself,it hasbeen found'best to make the cleaner bag'asindicatedin Fig; la withan inner cylindrical filterwall 11, of polyethylene fabric. and an outerdownwardly flaring dust arresting wall 12, of canton flannel disposedwith the nap" inside.

The cylindrical filter 11, is shown stitchedat 27, to the inturned edgeof the upper end of the canton flannel dust arrestor and as having acanton flannel tape 28, stitched about the 'lower'edge of the same, thusproviding resilient flannel gripping and sealing means for the threeclamp bands 22, 24 and 26; The latter are shown. in Figs. Sand 6 ashaving screwfastenings29, 30, 31, enabling ready mounting and unmountingof 'the'screeningfabrics.

The outer, larger dust collectinghopper 10, is shown as spaced adefinitedistance below and away from. the innerhopper 9, by'spacinglugs32, on the insidein abutment with the'inner hopper and as positivelysecured .in this relation by a wing nut 33, on a screw' stud'34,dependent from the inner hopper.

This fastening also serves to hold in place a cap or cover 35', closinga dust'discharge' opening 36, in thebottom of the hopper. A-resilientwasher 37, is providedto keep the cover dust tight.

On removal 'of'the' dust drain cover 35; access maybe had to theabrasive hopper for the purpose of draining out the abrasive.

A second wing nut 38, on screw stud 34 is shown hold ing a cap 39, andwasher 40, in place over drain openings 41, inthe-bottom of abrasivehopper 9: On release of this: second wing nut, this inner cover may beopened to. discharge-abrasive from the inner hopper.

In operation'of the invention with either the" abrasive nozzle: 14, orthe air blast nozzle 17, fine dust scoured from the spark plugs will becarried by the air through the inner filter wall 11, out'into thesurrounding truncated chamber 42, defined bythe outer dust'arrestingWall 12,-and with resultingdrop' in pressure, .be deposited in thelower'dusthopp'er 10. Agitation occurringinthe operation of the machineassists this abrasive cleaning and dust separating action. The waste ordust accumulated in the outer, lower hopper may be removed at any timeon removal of the cover in the bottom of this hopper and similarly,abrasive may be removed from the inner hopper on releasing or taking offthe cover closing the bottom of that hopper. The constant re moval ofthe waste keeps the abrasive clean and sharp, so that abrasive may beused practically continuously without need for changing but possiblyrequiring some addition to replace worn or more finely pulverizedmaterial.

The lantern made up of the inverted can top 7 and hopper 9 spaced belowthe same forms a frame for the abrasive screen 11 and a base supportingall essential parts including the spark plug holder, abrasive and airblast nozzles, the outer dust arresting screen 12 and the lower, dustcollecting hopper 10. The parts are thus combined in a simple compactunit and this is adapted for mounting as such in any suitable supportingstand, cabinet or the like. In the illustration, the top is shown ashaving outstanding brackets 43 for mounting it in a cabinet, table orother supporting structure 44.

The flexible fabric screens are more or less free to vibrate and thus toautomatically clear themselves, the inner one of abrasive and the outerone of dust. The flaring, outward and downward inclination of the outerscreen assists in this self-clearing action.

By making the doubled screen as an open ended bag with the lower endportion of abrasive screening material and the upper end portion flaredout to larger diameter and of dust arresting material, the entirescreening medium may be handled as a single unit, doubled on itselfmidlength, secured at the top to the can and at the bottom to the innerand outer abrasive and dust hoppers.

The screw 33 securing the dust release cap 35, serves through the mediumof this cap, to positively secure the dust hopper in spaced relation tothe abrasive hopper. On release of this screw, however, the dust hopperwill still be supported at such time by means of the dust arrestingscreen 12.

What is claimed is:

1. Self-cleaning spark plug cleaner, comprising the combination ofabrasive spark plug cleaning nozzle, abrasive containing chamber aboutthe same having an upright annular abrasive retaining filter wall, adust collecting chamber surrounding and spaced from said abrasivechamber having an upright annular dust'arresting wall, said abrasivechamber having an abrasive confining hopper at the bottom of saidupright filter wall, said dust collecting chamber having a dustconfining hopper at the bottom of said upright dust arresting Wall oflarger diameter and spaced from said abrasive hopper, said dust hopperhaving a removable closure at the bottom of the same for removal of dustaccumulated in said dust collecting chamber and said abrasive hopperhaving a releasably confined closure for enabling removal of abrasive.

2. Self-cleaning spark plug cleaner comprising a support for a sparkplug to be cleaned, a nozzle positioned to direct a blast of scouringmedium at a spark plug so positioned, an abrasive confining enclosureabout said nozzle and spark plug being cleaned including a porous wallof abrasive screening fabric and an abrasive holding hopper at the footof said wall, a dust arresting chamber in spaced relation about saidabrasive confining enclosure and including a porous Wall of dustarresting fabric in spaced relation about said abrasive screening walland a dust collecting hopper at the foot of said dust arresting wall, oflarger diameter than and spaced below said abrasive holding hopper.

3. The invention according to claim 2, in which said dust collectinghopper has a dust discharge opening at 4. the center of the sameprovided with a removable closure and said abrasive holding hopper has acentral abrasive discharge opening provided with a removable closureabove and accessible when said dust removal closure is removed.

4. Self-cleaning spark plug cleaner comprising a support for a sparkplug to be cleaned, a nozzle positioned to direct a blast of scouringmedium at a spark plug so positioned, an abrasive confining enclosureabout said nozzle and spark plug being cleaned including a porous wailof abrasive screening fabric and an abrasive holding hopper at the footof said wall, a dust arresting chamber in spaced relation about saidabrasive confining enclosure and including a porous wall of dustarresting fabric in spaced relation about said abrasive screening walland a dust collecting hopper at the foot of said dust arresting wall, oflarger diameter than and spaced below said abrasive holding hopper, saidabrasive screening Wall and dust arresting wall being secured togetherat the top and the inner abrasive screening wall secured at the bottomto the abrasive hopper and the outer dust arresting wall being securedat the bottom to said dust collecting hopper.

5. Self-cleaning spark plug cleaner comprising a support for positioninga spark plug to be cleaned, a nozzle located to direct a blast ofabrasive medium at a spark plug so positioned, an abrasive confiningenclosure about said nozzle and the spark plug being cleaned, includingan upright cylindrical plastic wall of abrasive screening material and adust arresting chamber about said cylindrical abrasive screening Walland including a wall of porous napped fabric spaced outwardly away fromsaid abrasive screening wall.

6. Self-cleaning spark plug cleaner comprising a support for positioninga spark plug to be cleaned, a nozzle located to direct a blast ofabrasive medium at a spark plug so positioned, an abrasive confiningenclosure about said nozzle and the spark plug being cleaned, includingan upright cylindrical wall of abrasive screening material and anabrasive holding hopper at the lower end of said abrasive screeningwall, a dust arresting chamber about said cylindrical abrasive screeningwall including a dust arresting porous fabric wall surrounding saidcylindrical abrasive screening wall and extending from the upper end ofsaid abrasive screening wall on a downward and outward incline providingannular dust containing space about said cylindrical abrasive screeningwall and a hopper connected with the lower larger end of said dustarresting wall below and spaced away from said abrasive holding hopper.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS

